Communication cabling systems are used to transmit data and voice signals to and from the modular offices or workstations of an open office environment. Such cabling systems communicate between a distribution block or patch panel located in a computer room or telecommunication closet and various telecommunication devices located at the workstations such as telephones, facsimile machines and computers.
Cabling systems for open office environments in which modular office partitions are used to form the workstations have traditionally comprised individual cables extending uninterrupted from the wiring closet all the way to the workstation devices. These systems are known as a "home run" cabling systems. More recently, it has become common to use what is known as "modular" cabling systems in open office environments. Modular cabling systems include at least one cable consolidation point (CP) located intermediate the closet and the workstation devices, sometimes located directly adjacent the workstations served by the CP. Modular cabling systems offer the important advantage of simplifying moves, adds and changes to the cabling extending to the workstation devices because there is no need to reconfigure or disturb the cables extending from the CP back to the wiring closet. Instead, only the cables "downstream" of the CP may need to be reconfigured. Another important advantage of modular cabling systems is that because the cables extending between the wiring closet and the CPs are run in "multiple" (i.e., provide capability for two or more users or devices), there are less cable runs into the wiring closet, which decreases cable congestion.
Although some CP cabinets designed for placement relatively near the workstations are known, these cabinets are typically free standing or supported on the floor adjacent a partition element. As such, the CP cabinets can take up valuable floor space and, in addition, are often not well visually integrated into the partition system. Another drawback of known CP cabinets is that even when they include a lockable door, cable passage apertures in the sides or backs of the cabinets can be exposed and thereby create a security risk. It would be desirable to provide a local CP cabinet which is mounted on and visually integrated into the office partition structure. It would also be desirable to provide a local CP cabinet with enhanced security features.